Happys Birthdays

Image courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Once upon a time there was a girl, who like most other children her age, was super excited about birthdays. Birthdays then, made it to the top of the list of special days. The attention, the gifts, the leeway one gets on birthdays, etc. made it all the more cool. The birthday parties with neighbor friends was most often an event by the kids, of the kids and for the kids! The bill and food excused as parents’ responsibility, of course. That big box of Quality Street chocolates and the new birthday dress were pieces of treasure. In a world of school uniforms, she would tread around like a queen in a civilian outfit, popularly termed as ‘color dress’.

She was born in the month of October. It was not just her birthday that was dear to her. The month of October itself held a very special place in her heart. In the beginning of the year, before the new calendar took its place on the wall, she would secretly flip to see the image for the month of October. Every year she secretly hoped she would forget her birthday and be surprised when others wished her. The excitement, however, always made sure that that never happened.

As she grew up she attempted many an experimentation on this day. In junior school she asked the class prefect if she could ‘mind the class’(an act of making sure the rest of the class keeps it low in between two class hours) on her birthday. To her surprise, the class prefect not just gave her the responsibility; she did it like it was an honor to do so.  In high school she felt she needed to see how the Principal’s cabin looked like. Not everyone gets to tread in there. On one of her birthdays, after she was done distributing chocolates in her classroom, on her way to the teachers’ staff room, she decided to test if her ‘color dress’ would do its magic on the security guarding the Principal’s cabin. Today, she wonders if it were the clothes, the big wide smile or the chocolates offered to the security that earned her a pass to get into the Principal’s cabin. Talk about small pleasures… ‘He even touched me on my head and said, God bless you MY girl.” she boasted to her friends.

When she went to college, she learned that birthdays could be really messy, fun and full of surprises. Those egg smashes, the bucket full of God-alone-knows-what mixture poured over, the beautifully made-up rooms, which teenage creativity and some pocket money would permit; the gifts, the midnight cakes, birthday cards, hugs, wishes, and letters! No matter what difference in opinion one might have, birthdays always bought the teenage folk together, which truly meant a lot.

She grew up to learn that there are also people in this world who doesn’t care all that much about birthdays. Yes, of course, they felt good when they were at the receiving end but it seemed too silly to return the gesture. She felt the explanation too bizarre at first and then faced a thought provoking question from them– why do birthdays have to be treated special? It’s neither earned nor is it an achievement; it’s just an automatic process. She never had an answer for that.

A couple of years later, she got the answer during a casual conversation with a friend, who had lost her husband quite early in their marriage. “I’ll never turn 40 and it doesn’t feel great.” her husband once told her. He, who was a cancer patient, may his soul rest in peace. 

She is a mother today and is absolutely delighted to see the sparkle in her child’s eyes when he learned that mothers have birthdays too. Age has turned her birthday excitement to gratitude. Gratitude for life, gratitude for friends, for people who may have gotten on her nerves but invariably pushed her to discover the best in her and discover her true inner strength, gratitude to see that excitement doesn’t die off, it simply passes on to the next generation.

“Appa, we should get a Barbie for Amma because she is a girl and it’s her birthday!” - this thought was the greatest gift she got this birthday.

Yes, birthdays are not an achievement. But, life is not always about achievements, is it? Life is like the air you breathe or like your best physical aspect you have- it may be your hair, your complexion, your teeth, anything.

We don't pay for oxygen so I don't know if we even care about the air we breathe until we get breathless. Similarly, most often your best is the one that is taken for granted. I have dark skin. I also have great hair and a wonderful smile. However, I have spent countless moments of my life trying to get fair. Today, I cherish myself so much more for what I am that I love my skin tone too.

Life is a boon; a blessing! Celebrate, cherish and respect it. 

Cheers to life!

You would also love:

Be Sensible and Secure: Be a Secularist

Three Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Moments I Wish I'd Photographed

Three Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Courtesy: amsl.com

Advises, advises and advises! The dictionary defines the word to be either an opinion or recommendation, a communication or an official notification. I'm sure most of you agree that in personal life, people expect advises to take the form of an opinion or recommendation. But is that so?

In retrospect, don't you think even in personal life, advises end up taking the form of an official notification?

I may be biased. However, based on what I have experienced, I thought I'd put together these three life lessons so that it is a reminder for me and possibly a red alert for at least some of you out there.

Small Small Things

This was way back when I was little. Knowingly or unknowingly, I was made to believe that I was big. So big, that people around me couldn't understand why I couldn't analyze a lot of things. Why I reacted to everything? Why I had to be so sensitive? Today I am aware that I was only 10 or 12 or 20 when I kept hearing and sensing such things. I looked big because I had siblings far too smaller than me. So by and by I imbibed that there is something called ‘small small things’ which needed to be ignored.

Although the hard way, I learned to do that – to gulp, ignore and let go.

The end result? A growing thought within me that I am just not worth anything. Why? For a long time, I believed that I am just mediocre at everything I do. Whenever, lady luck or appreciation for good work came by, I felt the best thing to say was, “Oh! It's nothing" or "It’s not me, really.” I used to actually identify a Godfather or Godmother, who I felt deserved praise. That, according to me was, humility.

Of course, everybody out there is not like me. But, I am aware that a huge percentage thinks the way I did. They wonder why they expect a good word; they do yearn for it and at the nick of time shy away from it to build humility.

You stand with an award in hand and firmly believe that it was just because your mom chose that song for you. It's not your voice or your talent.

But, that’s just one side of the story. The other, and probably the more damaging side is, when it comes to taking the blame. People like me are scared to stand up for ourselves.

For a long time I used to term 'standing up for yourselves' as a display of pride and ego. Ego, according to me was something we shouldn't have. The paradox is that all the while we let everybody else boost their ego at our expense.

So, we end up gulping (not erasing) the so called ‘small things’. Erasing is not an option here because nothing is resolved.

Like everything small, these small things also grow. And one day it turns too big to stay within. It comes out bad and nasty.

And the same people who taught you to gulp ask you the most weird question ever – “Why did you wait for this to get so big? Couldn't you tell about this earlier?”

Duh..?

It's happened to you. Don’t pass it on. It's human to give what you get. KEEP A CHECK. You breed the most confused bunch that way. Teach, encourage and coach your children to ask you ‘Why?’ until they get an answer; no matter how authoritative you appear.

Lesson one: Do not ignore small things and do not teach your children to do                            that.

In Touch with God

A recent conversation…

“Finally after all the hardships in life, now that I am settled, I get this hurt spine. But I am not sad. It’s just God’s way of telling me to keep in touch.”

I have grown up hearing this. But goodness gracious me! That’s the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard. Yes, I have also read all those forwards about the man at the construction site who looked up only when a stone was thrown at him.

But people! Do you even know what your face looks like when you look up at someone who has just stoned you? Don’t you realize that the only way that frown disappears is when the person who flung that stone at you apologized?

I am sorry. I refuse to believe that God works that way. Life is a circle. There are good and bad times in all aspects of life. I believe, it just makes you cry all the more if you think the Savior you cling on to for protection does nasty things to keep you focused on him/her. How silly!

Personally I pray, when I am at peace. I love thanking and hate blaming and going to war with a Being I love.

It’s completely sane to be pious. But don’t draw the picture of a God who waits to give you trouble. Atheists fare far higher then. No face is better than a horrid face.

Lesson two: Believe in the love of God than His/Her wrath. Teach your children                      to face reality, rather than fearing and escaping punishments.

You are too small to decide

My life went through a huge turmoil with this piece of advice. I accept that at the age of 15 you have no clue how your life's going to turn out, But excuse me – nobody can give you that guarantee card, can they? If there is a system designed by human beings that 15 is the first stage where you can choose which way you want to steer your academics, they would have done all the logic analysis before arriving at that age.

Do not scare the hell out of your children just so that they choose something that meets your standards. Yes, all parents want the best for their children. It's just that we overlook what they need the most – confidence in expressing and going by their own choice. Assuring that we will be with them no matter what happens.

Many a time I have heard people say, "you will feel so now but you will regret later."

Why? 

Is it bad to regret?

Is it a nightmare to learn to recoup?

Will the world be a dead end for them?

Most importantly - will it always have to end up that way just because your experience or gut feel says so?

Let's face it – it's not just about their good. It's an equal measure, and sometimes more, of our image too.

Just don’t do it. Don't kill a child's decision making ability at its genesis.

And if the child is really persistent, it's common to say, "Fine! Do as you please."

I can't express how freaking lonely that statement makes you feel at the age of 15 or 17.

Lesson three: Parents and just privileged care takers. Every individual is                                  special and unique. Respect that!

Let me assure you that I have no ill feelings towards my parents. I love them with all of my heart. Every parenting goes through a few flaws. However, I am just using this space to reiterate NOT to repeat these.

As a last note. It's ok to ask forgiveness to your child. Accept your flaws.

Life ain't perfect. But, build perfect bridges. Keeps the journey smooth.

Also Read:

You Are Not Alone. Believe It. It's True!

Reminders from Nirupama Rajeev

A Death Visual